International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIITH) organised its 24th convocation at Gachibowli in the city on Saturday evening and graduated 529 students.
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Vineeth Bhat, B.Tech (Honours) in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) was awarded the IIITH gold medal in recognition of his outstanding academic performance. Revanth Kumar Gundam, (B Tech in Computer Science and Master of Science in Computational Linguistics by Research dual degree) was awarded Best All-rounder for his notable contributions in academics, extra-curricular activities and IIITH services. Pradeep Kumar Pal (PhD in Computational Natural Sciences) received the Banyan Award for consistent voluntary efforts relating to student affairs.
Ms. Debjani Ghosh, Distinguished Fellow at NITI Aayog and Chief Architect of the NITI Frontier Tech Hub, and former President of NASSCOM, graced the convocation ceremony of IIIT Hyderabad as the Chief Guest and conferred degrees to the graduating students. The event was held in the esteemed presence of Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Chairman of the Governing Council; Prof. P.J. Narayanan, Director; and Prof. Kishore Kothapalli.
Prof. Sandeep Shukla from IIT Kanpur, who is set to take over as Director of IIIT Hyderabad from Prof. Narayanan, was also present at the event.
Delivering a powerful and heartfelt keynote, Ms. Ghosh shared five life mantras for the graduating students:
- Pause and Express Gratitude – “Success is never a solo journey,” she said, urging students to take a moment to thank those who helped them reach this milestone.
- Live with Purpose – Recalling her own experience of returning to India and dedicating herself to taking technology to the grassroots, she emphasised the importance of having a purpose—even if it evolves.
- Embrace Failures – “I’m proud of my failures. They taught me the most,” she noted. She encouraged students to be comfortable in discomfort, to keep learning, and to never fear taking risks—unlike those who settle for mediocrity.
- Guard Your Integrity – Calling it one’s “source code,” she reminded students that while titles and accolades fade, reputation and integrity endure.
- Build Human Connections, Not Just Networks – In an age of superficial networking, she stressed the importance of genuine human relationships. “If you have a problem, talk to each other,” she said.
In his address, Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala highlighted the uniqueness of IIIT Hyderabad, calling it a public institution not owned or funded by the government. “You have spent these years learning how to learn. Now, in the real world, you must keep learning—from peers, colleagues, and experiences,” he advised. He also encouraged alumni to give back to the institute and help the next generation benefit from its excellence.
Commending the graduating students, Prof. P J Narayanan, Director, IIITH, said, “The graduating students of 2025 are joining the professional world formally today, out to chart their paths in this increasingly competitive and complicated world. I am confident you possess highly useful skills in your area and immense creativity to apply those to different problems. Above all, I urge you to travel your life’s journey with deep concern and caring toward the society around you. We expect the best from you in the coming years and are confident you will exceed our expectations”.
Prof. P. J. Narayanan also announced that he will soon be stepping down as the Director of the institute, after an amazing tenure of over 12 years, and will continue as a faculty member at the institute. Prof. Sandeep Shukla of IIT Kanpur will be the next Director, starting this August.
A senior professor at IIT Kanpur and an IEEE Fellow, Prof. Sandeep K. Shukla is known for his work in cybersecurity, formal methods, and embedded systems. He earned his Ph.D. from SUNY Albany and previously taught at Virginia Tech. At IITK, he directed the C3i Centre for cybersecurity and led national blockchain initiatives. He has published over 300 papers and serves as Editor-in-Chief of ACM Transactions on Embedded Systems. His honours include the US PECASE Award and the Humboldt Bessel Award.
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Commenting on his new appointment, Prof Shukla said, “I am extremely honoured and excited that IIIT Hyderabad is entrusting me with the responsibility of their next leader. Following the wonderful work done by prior directors Prof. Rajeev Sangal and Prof. P. J. Narayanan is a tough act, and I hope that I can rise to the challenge. I see this as my task for the next several years to lead the institute with the cooperation of all the stakeholders and the campus community to newer heights”.
“As Sandeep steps in as director to lead IIITH, it is poised to take up greater challenges to serve the nation and prepare its students to make a more significant contribution to society”, said Prof Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Chairman, Governing Council of IIIT Hyderabad, who admitted students to their degrees.
Graduating students shared ambitions to create impact and give back
Among the 529 students who graduated at IIIT Hyderabad’s convocation, several shared their inspiring journeys and future aspirations.
- Vineetha Bhat, currently working with Stripe, a leading global fintech company in Bengaluru, expressed his desire to continue learning and gaining experience. “Eventually, I want to start my venture and become a job giver,” he shared with quiet determination.
- Pranav Manu, now a Research Intern with the prestigious Max Planck Society in Germany, spoke of his long-term commitment to creating meaningful social and national impact through his work.
- Revanth Kumar, hailing from Hyderabad, is pursuing a dual master’s degree while interning at Google. Balancing academic rigour with a world-class internship, he embodies the spirit of continuous learning.
- Anuksh Agrawal from Ranchi is already a full-time employee at Google and is focused on charting a path toward more impactful contributions in the future. “I want to build something that truly adds value to people’s lives,” he said.
- Lakshya Shastri, the great-grandson of former Prime Minister Late Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, also graduated in this cohort. Reflecting on his journey, he said, “IIIT Hyderabad is among the best institutions in the country. Gaining admission is difficult, but continuing to stay here and succeed is even more challenging. I’m proud to have completed my studies here.” Lakshya is currently working at a startup in Bengaluru and plans to pursue a master’s degree after gaining industry experience.
The diverse aspirations of this graduating class—from research and entrepreneurship to social impact and global careers—underscore IIIT Hyderabad’s role in shaping future-ready leaders and innovators.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR
The graduating batch consists of 529 students (B.Tech – 109; B.Tech Honours – 64; Dual Degree – 101; Master of Science by Research – 49; M.Tech – 141; Ph.D. – 17 and MSIT – 48).
A total of 128 companies registered for placements; 75 companies conducted interviews.
Eight new regular faculty members joined the institute in the past year. Several subject matter experts from the industry are engaged with teaching and research at the institute, including adjunct faculty. We have 23 of them today.
The team of faculty, research students, research staff, and undergraduate students produced approximately 610 papers in top journals and conferences during the academic year 2024-25. In total, 41 of our Ph.D. students hold external competitive fellowships from the DST, Google, TCS, Microsoft, UGC, CSIR, various iHubs at IIIT-H, and from other organizations. This has resulted in the publication of high-quality research papers in peer-reviewed journals.
IIITH’s executive education programs are being delivered in a hybrid model and have produced over 4,500 plus professionals in about 8 years. 24 batches of the AI & ML program, 10 batches of Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies, and 7 batches of Software Engineering for Data Science have been completed so far and currently 25th batch of AIML is underway.
The estimated existing alumni strength of the institute is 7756. The alumni have raised ₹4.83 crores since 2006 to help students on a pay-it-forward basis. To date, 73 students (UG, PG, DD) have been supported by them, and 40 have already paid it forward, while 11 students are currently receiving the aid. Submitted by Media Contact: Solus Media.
